Help

Newsletter

Posted June 23, 2014 01:29 pm

Letters: Congress needs to revive Voting Rights Act

OBAMA’S RECORD

Defenders and red herrings

Every time I see a letter that points out the sins of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, I see a red herring aimed at directing the audience’s attention away from the main issues, moving the focus of the “low information voters” to something they might understand.

I guess the fact that the current administration has been in office for five years and owns today’s problems and scandals does not resonate with these people.

I am beginning to see our commander in chief as our prevaricator in chief, and that fact scares me.

Don MacLeod, Neptune Beach

VOTING RIGHTS

New legislation needed

About one year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County (Ala.) vs. Holder, leaving room for discrimination to gain an even better foothold at the ballot box.

The past year has been one of mixed emotions for voting rights advocates.

In January, we were hopeful as a bipartisan group of legislators introduced the Voting Rights Amendment Act, a workable, common-sense solution that would modernize the elections process and protect voting rights against discrimination. Hope has turned to frustration as we approached the Shelby anniversary. After five months, Congress still needs to do its part and keep this legislative fix moving forward.

The Senate recently took an important step, holding a hearing on voting rights and discrimination. Now it is time for the House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and move this bill forward. As their constituents, we must encourage our Northeast Florida representatives who sit on the House Judiciary Committee to act.

In five short months, voters will be heading to the polls and will do so without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act.

While unfortunately there will be some voters who encounter discrimination in November, league members stand ready to help them get registered and vote.

The anniversary of the Shelby decision is not a celebration, but we should use this occasion as motivation.

There is no better time to push the fight for equality at the ballot box closer to the finish line. Let’s get this done. Let’s work to protect all eligible voters.

Angela DeMonbreun, president,

League of Women Voters Jacksonville First Coast

OBAMA’S RECORD

A defense

In the past week or so, letter writers have lambasted President Barack Obama with uncommon zeal. He has been labeled with enough failures to constitute impeachment. The writers were relentless in their over-the-top list of crimes by the president without once mentioning Congress.

I have tried to understand why this hatred of the president and his administration raises the hackles of local Republicans. Now the answer to this seems so clear.

These Old South idealists will never admit the world has changed. Maybe one day they will see through their fears and accept the new reality. For the time being, America has an African-American president.

Unless the U.S. is threatened by external violence, it is doubtful its people will learn to work and fight together. Too many citizens feel they are deserving of a personal U.S. filled with like friends and neighbors. This will never happen in our country unless people accept real change.

What are the chances?

Robert A. Taylor, Jacksonville

GATES AND EDUCATION

Too much power?

After reading the article on Bill Gates and Common Core standards, my question is: Who’s running public education — Bill Gates or the public?

C.V. Slack, Orange Park

IRS ABUSES

Support FairTax

Are we convinced the IRS is not fit to be handling our hard-earned dollars?

Do we see through their deceit, the overzealous use of their power over our lives and their contemptuous attitude in trying to cover up their criminal actions?

Visit fairtax.com and learn how much better you and our country would be with the Fair Tax enacted into law.

Then call, write or e-mail your member of Congress. using POPVOX.com, and urge them to support the FairTax.

Let’s get rid of the IRS.

Martyn Adshead, Jacksonville

OBAMA AND IRAQ

Just stay out

President Barack Obama has made a serious mistake in sending advisers to assist the Iraq government.

Most of the world’s Muslims are Sunni. Obama’s action can only be interpreted by them as being anti-Sunni and pro-Shia.

It’s bound to have serious repercussions in the world’s Sunni population.

The Sunnis obviously can’t rely on the United States to back them up in a showdown with Iran, especially once Iran has the atomic bomb.

At the very least Obama’s action will result in the Sunnis getting their own bomb even if they have to buy it from North Korea or Pakistan with our oil money.

Obama should have done nothing. Let Iraq dissolve into a Shia nation, a Sunni nation and a Kurdish nation.

Seems as though there are a lot more public memorial services these days, and it is good that people want to come together for these events. Very often dozens of balloons are released into the air without any thought to where they end up. Latex and Mylar have no place in our fields and waterways and are a danger to wildlife, so I would encourage people to not release any balloons.